Some members of the $5.3 billion American Airlines Credit Union who overdraw their accounts now face a much lower charge.
The 226,000-member Fort Worth, Texas, credit union announced the implementation of Bounce Protection/Plus, which limits overdraft fees to one penny per overdraft provide the member either covers the gap before 10 p.m. Central Time the same day or if the overdraft threw the account into the red by less than $10.
"We believe this new member-friendly approach to overdrafts will allow members to skip the embarrassment of being declined and also feel reassured that they have funds available at any time," said Nancy Crouch, AACU’s director of card services.
"We know that our members occasionally have an emergency or make a small error when balancing their checking account,” Crouch added. “And we believe that a small mistake shouldn’t result in a big penalty, which is why we believe that Bounce ProtectionPlus takes overdraft protection to the next level."
Overdrafts that linger past the 10 p.m. deadline and are for more than $10 will still be assessed the standard $25 fee.
But the credit union pointed out that it has several different ways a member would be able to cover the shortfall before the deadline if they need to do so.
